Iran, US hold talks in Geneva for nuclear deal

Senior Iranian and US officials were poised to hold direct talks in Geneva Monday aimed at bridging gaps on Tehran's disputed nuclear programme ahead of a July deadline for a deal.
For the Islamic republic, the goal is to make a leap towards ending the international sanctions that have battered its economy.
For Washington and its allies, the aim is to make certain that what Iran says is a peaceful atomic power programme is not a covert attempt to build a nuclear bomb.
The talks were expected to last two days and begin at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) in the Intercontinental, an upscale Geneva hotel.
It is a traditional venue for closed-door diplomatic negotiations, most recently hosting sessions on Syria and Ukraine.
Abbas Araqchi, Iran's vice foreign minister and nuclear pointman, said Sunday that the tete-a-tete with US officials was essential as the negotiations are delicately poised, according to AFP.